Brilliant Red
by pariahxlove
Summary: A girl cursed with a blessing of being a half demon priestess has her power stolen. Awakes 50 years after she watches Inuyasha "die".
1. Prologue

I walked the road, my kimono dirty at the ends as my eyes stared forward, blank and empty. I couldn't count how long I had been walking. All I knew was that I was told to keep walking down this road until I found the village that housed the sacred jewel. My father was supposed to live there, and it was there I was told I would be safe.

My face was covered in dirt, clean skin peeking through the tear stains under my eyes. my hair was short, crude cut in an attempt to hide me from my mother's tribe. But you could cut my hair all you wanted. My bright red eyes and stark white hair were hard to miss.

But the tribe was so satisfied in the death of my mother that they overlooked even killing me. There was no way a child so young could fend for herself right? Well, I had managed to walk for days, keep myself fed with what little I could find, and sleep safely enough that I was still alive. But my will was fading the longer I walked, remembering my mother's dead gaze staring back up at me.

"My god child! You look like that of the undead!" A voice rang into my ears, startling me into a jump. Panic filled my once empty gaze as my head darted around, looking for the source. A woman just ahead of me, with long black hair and very soft eyes looked at me with worry, running to me as fast as she could.

"What happen to you? Where is your mother?" She stopped just in front of me kneeling cupping my face in her hands. I didn't answer as I stared in amazement of the treatment I was receiving. This woman had to clearly see I was just a half demon, something even most humans looked down upon.

"Why…" I stuttered as I stared at the woman.

"How about your father, do you know where he is?" She continued, ignoring the my confused look.

"But, why do you care?" The woman looked at her, puzzled and almost taken aback by what I had asked. "I'm just a half breed."

The woman sighed and pulled me into a hug, running her slender hands over my head and rocking me gently.

"If I held any ill will towards any sort of demon, I wouldn't love my son nearly as much as I do." I looked up to find a boy a few years older than me clinging to his mother's legs, too curious to look afraid. Long silver hair covering the shoulders of a red kimono, two dog like ears perked and alert.

"Mother, is she just like me?" The woman nodded and smiled.

"Indeed she is, now child, what is your name?" I blinked and rubbed my eyes, wiping more tears away before they could fall, smearing the dirt about my face.

"Akane…" I whispered through a sob induced hiccup. The woman smiled and gently removed her from the hug.

"Well Akane, my name is Rumiko and this is my son, Inuyasha." I looked back over to the boy who still was partially hidden behind his mother's kimono, trying hard to hide his curiosity. I smiled at him, though small, it was the first smile that I had given to anyone in days. Peeking out further, he smiled back as he found his bravery.

"C'mon, we can take you to our village." He offered his small hand to me. I took it, and was led back to their village, which happened to be the village I was looking for.

This was the day I would never forget, the day I met Inuyasha.

And in a blink of an eye it felt like I had lost him. As I grew to know him and him to me we soon realized we weren't that much different at all. And we both promised to protect each other no matter what. We kept that promise for years, guarding each other from the cruel words others threw at us.

As I grew older it was clear that I didn't just have the powers of a demon, but the abilities of a priestess. When I had first arrived back at the village I had learned my father was a priest who protected and aided the village. He was also the Keeper of the Sacred Jewel. Rumiko expected him to disown me, and was ready to take me under her wing as her own. But to her surprise he cried with joy to hear I was still alive.

You see, it was forbidden for priests and priestess alike to take a family, as it could interfere with their duties to protect the pure from the demonic. He had, in their words, stooped lower than most and fell for a demon. I was to be his student to the public eye to avoid either of us getting harmed. I was okay with this. He trained me to use the powers I had. Though, he felt that I may never be able to be Keeper the Jewel. My demon blood would taint it.

My dreams shattered, he brought in a new student, a girl by the name of Kikyo. She was pretty with her long black hair and pitch black eyes. She had a younger sister who stayed with us as well. Both had been orphaned after raiders destroyed their village. Something deep down bothered me, but my father just said it was my demon blood reacting to a priestess.

But my feeling was confirmed the day my father died when Kikyo had rigged a ceremony that sealed my priestess powers within her body. Stating that a demon let alone a half demon shouldn't hold such powers. I couldn't tell a soul about it either, Kikyo was now in charge of the shrine, I risked losing my home. But I had managed to be just as cunning as her. A blood oath that swore she would return them to me before her death or risk her soul never resting in peace.

And we made it work for awhile, until one day.

I had woken to the commotion of the shrine being attacked. I couldn't find Kikyo anywhere so did my best what the guards but this demon was too strong, and stubborn. Inuyasha had gone off the deep end since the death of his mother and swore he would take the Jewel and make a proper demon out of himself. This was his chance.

I chased him, being the only one who could keep up.

"Just drop it wolf pup I'm not giving it back!" He hissed with a laugh. I didn't respond, I just drew more speed and flew myself in front of him, grabbing him by arm. As he tried to pass me he was flung down to the ground with the sudden stop.

"I'm going to give you one chance, give me the Jewel and I'll let you leave without harm." He rolled his eyes, calming down greatly but still he was on edge. The wound from losing him mother was still so fresh I could read it in his eyes.

"Just meet me down at the lake. We'll talk about this once I calm everyone down. Here at least take this." I helped him to his feet before I cupped his hands and focused the little sacred power I had left into him. He raised an eyebrow clearly confused.

"You should be immune to any sutras they try to use on you now. To help you get out safely okay?"

"Fine, what ever." He gruffed, raising his hand to give me the Jewel. But just then, in the blink of an eye he pushed me out of the way as an arrow sunk deep into his shoulder and into the tree behind him.

"No...no no no!" I swung my head to see a bleeding Kikyo bow at the ready.

"Why?! He was going to give me the Jewel! He didn't deserve this!" I cried as I tried to pull the arrow from his shoulder. But I couldn't touch it. It reacted and realized that saving him from the simple sutras had doomed him. I couldn't touch Kikyo's sacred arrows any longer.

I heard Kikyo cough and fall to her knees, Kiade running to her side, me close behind.

"Kikyo...I need you to keep your oath. You need to give me my powers. Please…" She ignored me, commanded that the jewel be burnt with her body before she fell limp to the ground.

My mind went blank there. I relive all of this over and over. With it fading to black right at that moment. I can't escape the loop, nor am I able to change the outcome. Just a helpless bystander unable to scream or yell. I feel like just a spirit floating. I don't know whether I am dead or trapped in the after life, never to rest in peace. But I pray for it to end every day, if days even exist still.


	2. Chapter 1

I faintly heard a deep voice beckoning me toward him. It was the first time I heard a voice outside of my hellish nightmare. The repeating story slowly began to vanish revealing a dark room. A crack of light shining through a boarded up door. Sutra's covering the walls. While I was able to see, I was unable to move a single muscle.

One by one, the sutra's seemed to catch fire, and with each one gone feeling returned to my body. Upon the last one gone there was a sudden fire burning in my veins, a power I had never remembered feeling. Something eating away at my humanity as I stood there. And again the voice.

"Remove the boards. I wish to see my prize." I cocked my head to the left, one by one the boards were removed with ease. From what I could tell by a demon. Here to kill me? I couldn't risk assuming anything else. With just a few boards left over the opening I found a strength and speed I never remembered. I busted through the boards like twigs. My hand found the throat of the demon and made quick work of crushing his windpipe before dropping his body in a crumpled heap at my feet.

"What prize do you speak of...half demon." I growled. My voice distorted in away I couldn't explain. But this power was insane, and addictive.

"Don't you dare call me a half demon when you are no better." The man had no face, except that of a form covered in a white baboon fur. He reeked of several rotting demons and blood. But there was a very thick air of human as well. I sprinted for him, grabbing him by the neck as well, pinned to the nearest tree.

"What do you want from me? Why was I sealed away! Give me answers!"

"Put me down!" There was a sharp pain to the back of my neck, and without my body responding to my own command I put him down.

"What have you done to me!" I tried going for him again, but was unable to.

"Impressive, your mind is still intact but your body remains under my control. Well, if you must know, I require the use of your power to take down a pest of sorts. Your the wolf, and that shard of jewel in your neck is your leash. Do as I say and I'll release you to do whatever it is you wish to do with the rest of your pathetic life."

Jewel shard, did he mean the Sacred Jewel? Wasn't that destroyed with Kikyo's body? He had given me more questions than answers.

"Why was I sealed?" I demanded.

"That I couldn't tell you. I didn't seal you. But you've been in that little hut for a little over 50 years now. Would seem the seal has stopped you from aging as well. Rumor states after the death of a certain Priestess in this village you went on a killing spree. Feeding your inner demon I would presume. They most likely couldn't kill you since their priestess had just passed. They did the next best thing. Sealed you away until someone could." My mind was blank, 50 years I had spent reliving the most happiest and most horrifying years of my life. I didn't remember the killing, I didn't remember being sealed. A side-effect perhaps, and was this where this power came from? Though a half demon myself I felt like that of a full one.

"Now come. You have a job to do." he vanished but it would seem my body moved on it's own accord. Knowing where it was he went. He couldn't be all bad, the leash was smart. I would've killed him if he hadn't. I'd help him, he did give me my freedom after all.

I learned his name was Naraku. A man who was once human. He sacrificed his human body to hundreds of demons in order to win the heart of another, and failed. It would've seemed that his eyes had turned to me instead. A weak attempt to keep me around long after I had finished whatever job it was he had for me. I made the mistake of turning down his advances one to many times.

While my body listened to him, my mind was still free of his grasp. But that wasn't going to last for long. He was still much stronger than me and my mind was starting to give into this leash of his. He'd force himself on me, swear that he'd make me love him. That he deserved that much after the hell he'd been through. It was weeks, maybe months before I started to wonder if this job was just a lie to lure me in.

My mind eventually gave in, he had full control of me and my actions. My mouth said things even though I screamed for my mouth to stop. I wanted to be free of my old nightmare, but was only lured into a much more real one.

Though my time with Naraku was painful it wasn't entirely a waste. 50 years had indeed passed since I was sealed. I was sealed by the few low priests in my old village after the demon blood in me took over. After Kikyo had died. Nothing interesting happened after that. Until a girl arrived in our time from the future, carrying the Sacred Jewel within her body. Apparently this girl was the reincarnation of Kikyo herself. I laughed a little. So the oath worked, at least a little. Her soul found its way back here, unresting until her promise was kept.

But this girl wasn't Kikyo fully, just held her priestess powers and the ability to sense and see the Sacred Jewel. She was clumsy and stupid, having shattered the Jewel into hundreds of shards. And now she was on the hunt to find them all and restore the Jewel. Naraku wasn't to stop them so he could find them himself. So all I had to do was kill this girl. Seemed easy enough. Maybe I could even get her to keep the Oath. Otherwise Kikyo's soul would just keep being reincarnated I assumed.

One night, the air changed, something was different. Someone was here that shouldn't be.

"Finally…" The scent was that of Kikyo, but I knew better. I stalked the halls of Naraku's large estate before I fell onto the scene. A girl in a very odd and revealing Kimono stood with a bow drawn. A demon slayer and her pet stood behind, and a monk, holding a sutra in his hand as well. All human, all easy to kill. But I only needed to kill one, and that was the only one I was going to kill.

"Not yet…" His voice hissed sharply, by body suddenly frozen out of sight. Why wouldn't my body listen! I couldn't even claw at my neck to remove the damn shard if I wanted. That's all I needed to do to free myself. But even that was to hard to do.

"Where is he Naraku?" The one who looked like Kikyo spoke. Her voice was high pitched and annoying. My demon ears could only handle so much of it before I whined in pain.

"Where is who? You are the one that barged onto my property."

"Inuyasha! Where is Inuyasha! He came running without a word." The Demon slayer spouted out of turn, making Naraku laugh. Something clicked in my mind, that name. From...my nightmares. I had almost forgotten about him. My heart sunk a little. They were his friends. I tried to push myself away. I no longer wanted to fight.

"Oh well it would seem you have beaten him here. Making this all that much easier." With my struggle the leash tightened and my body obeyed. I was fighting whether I wanted to or not.

I walked forward from the shadows, they were surprised but confused. They whispered among each other, and my mouth said words I didn't want them too.

"You...you smell of that wretched priestess Kikyo…" Monstrous was the best way to describe my voice. I took several slow steps forward, the leash tightening even more. Egging the real monster out. The girl stepped back, lowering her bow in fear, the others stepping in front of her.

"None of you can stop me. Pathetic and weak humans." I flung myself forward, pushing past the monk and slayer flinging them to the side. I stood before the girl, heard her name screamed by the slayer.

"Kagome! Run!" I laughed and looked into her eyes.

"You are Kikyo, and you will die." I grabbed her by the throat, but upon touching her skin, my hand burned and my mind buzzed. My once hot blood calmed and for once I was thinking clearly.

"Help me...please…"I begged her as I loosened my grip. But the old feelings came back, the leash choking me. I flung her to remove the burning, hands gripping my own head.

"What are you doing?! Kill her you stupid mutt!" Naraku's words rang in my ears and my body obeyed.

 _"_ _No...stop it...touching her hurts!"_ I screamed at myself, but my body refused to listen. I went or her again, this time grabbing her arm. The same burning, the same sudden feeling of clarity.

"Run. Just run please. I can't control this…" The clarity was gone once again. And again I threw her, but this time she never hit the ground. Someone had caught her, and the ringing of a painful memory filled my ears.

"I told you guys not to follow me." He growled as his put Kagome down.

"We're your friends. We're supposed to help-"

"You can't help me with this." He said rather coldly. Surprising even Kagome, who seemed hurt by his words. I stared at him, his silver hair and twitching dog years. My heart hurt and my blood ran hot once again.

"Kill him!" Naraku's orders forced my body forward, grabbing the dog eared demon by the throat. There was the same burn but not as bad.

"Why...Why do I see you in my head!" I screamed as I forced him against a tree.

"Why...why did you leave?! You..you promised…" My screams turned to sobs and clarity filled me again.

"You made a promise to. Doing what you're doing is breaking it." Suddenly a memory flooded my head, us as children, making the promise to always protect one another no matter what. Tear flooded my eyes as I gently put him down.

"That...that thing I gave you...I need it back." I muttered, a pale glow entering my hands from Inuaysha's body. The Jewel Shard in my neck now losing it's black glimmer.

"No...no! What is going on! What have you done!" Naraku hissed as he stood. But before he knew it I stood before him. My red eyes meeting his for the first time as equals.

"I made a promise a long time ago to a kid who was just like me. We would protect each other til the end. I thought that end had been 50 years ago. I was wrong, and now, you will die." I flung my hand and arm into his chest, and all he did was laugh.

"You think I would be stupid enough to keep my heart within this weak body? You can't kill me mutt, but I sure as hell can kill you." His hand touched my chest and a suddenly lost all air in my chest. My lungs burned as I tried to breath.

"I know your secret. It's now a curse you will bear until you die, or he makes a choice. You, or her." I fell to the ground coughing and gasping. A spider-like mark covering my chest, but it wasn't a scar. It was under my skin, spreading closer and closer to something it wanted.

"Akane!" Hearing him made my heart sink. I knew what Naraku meant. The secret I held so close to my heart not even Inuyasha knew. I was too scared to think about it. In too much pain, too much shock. I allowed myself to fall unconscious. My mind, for once was blank, allowing for myself to sink into the quiet nothingness in hopes that I never came back.


End file.
